Notification board and labeling apparatus

ABSTRACT

The present invention generally relates to a notification boards. Specifically, this invention relates to a notification board configured to organize and display papers, photographs and other documents for viewing. Embodiments of the present invention may include a labeling apparatus configured to describe or otherwise detail the displayed contents of the notification board.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. Patent Application No.14/492,703 filed on Sep. 22, 2014 and entitled “Notification Board andLabeling Apparatus”, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/439,236 filed on Apr. 4, 2012 and entitled“Notification Board and Labeling Apparatus”, the entire disclosures ofeach and all of the above mentioned references are hereby incorporatedherein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to notification boards.Specifically, this invention relates to a notification board configuredto organize and display papers, photographs and other documents forviewing. Embodiments of the present invention may include a labelingapparatus configured to describe or otherwise detail the displayedcontents of the notification board.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The use of notification boards or announcement boards has beenubiquitous in all manners of settings. From schools, workplaces,government buildings and universities to homes and public places, theuse of notification boards for the publishing of content relevant topassersby is common practice across all walks of life.

One main issue with standard notification boards is that they arecommonly a place where there is no organization or restrictions on theplacement of content. Typically consisting of corkboard, magneticmaterials or other simple means allowing for documents to be retainedupon a surface, notification boards commonly become unorganized messesof content layered upon content with no separation between the variousdocuments and no way to know how long documents have been residing onthe notification board or provide other identifying information.Additionally, especially in the case of notification boards that usecorkboard or similar material, the attachment means used, such asthumbtacks and staples, frequently damage both the notification boardand the documents themselves.

Another issue with standard notification boards is that since there isno demarcation between the documents or space where documents should beplaced, individuals end up stacking documents and obscuring thedocuments previously placed by others. This can commonly lead to messy,unorganized notification boards that actually end up dissuadingpassersby from coming to view the content placed thereupon.

Therefore, there is a need in the art for a notification board thatprovides the ability to organize and display documents for viewing andfurther provide an easy and convenient method for allowing the removalof hard to retrieve documents from each distinct viewing area. These andother features and advantages of the present invention will be explainedand will become obvious to one skilled in the art through the summary ofthe invention that follows.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention are directed toproviding a notification board configured to organize and displaypapers, photographs and other documents for viewing. Embodiments of thepresent invention may include a labeling apparatus configured todescribe or otherwise detail the displayed contents of the notificationboard.

The foregoing summary of the present invention with the preferredembodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention.It should be understood and obvious to one skilled in the art that theembodiments of the invention thus described may be further modifiedwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a notification board in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a notification board in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a top view of a notification board in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a notification board in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a notification board in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of a front frame portion of anotification board in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of a back frame portion of anotification board in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 8 is a detailed view of an attachment means of a front frameportion of a notification board in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of a notification board in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of a notification board in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED SPECIFICATION

The present invention generally relates to notification boards.Specifically, this invention relates to a notification board configuredto organize and display papers, photographs and other documents forviewing. Embodiments of the present invention may include a labelingapparatus configured to describe or otherwise detail the displayedcontents of the notification board.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a notificationboard includes a back frame portion, a front frame portion comprisingone or more divider sections, one or more display panels and one or moretension means. Combined, these components form a notification board thatallows for the retention and display of multiple documents in anorganized manner.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the back frameportion is comprised of a rear side and a front side. The rear side ofthe back frame portion is configured to be attached to a surface via oneor more attachment means. In a preferred embodiment, the attachmentsurface would be a wall or other solid surface that would provide theability to retain weight of the notification board and its content.Common surfaces include walls, posts, mounting brackets and hangingdisplay brackets. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate thatthere are numerous surfaces embodiments of the present invention couldbe utilized with, and embodiments of the present invention arecontemplated for attachment to any surface.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the back frameportion is formed from a single piece of material. In a preferredembodiment, the back frame portion is made from a plastic. In analternate embodiment, the back frame is made from a metal. One ofordinary skill in the art would appreciate that the back frame portioncould be made from a variety of materials, and embodiments of thepresent invention are contemplated for use with any such material.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the attachmentmeans are configured to be received through a front side of thenotification board and into or onto the attachment surface in a mannerthat affixes the notification board to the surface. Attachment meansinclude, but are not limited to, screws, nails, pins, nuts and bolts,tacks and other fasteners. One of ordinary skill in the art wouldappreciate that there are numerous attachment means that could beutilized with embodiments of the present invention, and embodiments ofthe present invention are contemplated for use with any attachmentmeans.

In other embodiments, attachment means are not required to be receivedthrough the front side of the notification board. For instance, theattachment means could be comprised of adhesives capable of securing therear side of the back frame portion to the attachment surface. One ofordinary skill in the art would appreciate there are numerous attachmentmeans that could be utilized in this manner, and embodiments of thepresent invention are contemplated for use with any form of attachmentmeans.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the front frameportion of the notification board is comprised of one or more dividersections. Each divider section is formed by a plurality of bars forminga shape that when connected to the front side of the back frame portionof the notification board, a retention space is formed. In a preferredembodiment, the divider sections are square or rectangular and form aspace ideally shaped to retain one or more documents. The documents maybe, for instance, papers, letters, legal notices, photographs, flyers oradvertisements. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate thatembodiments of the present invention could be utilized to retain anymanner of documents, and embodiments of the present invention arecontemplated for use with the retention of any type of document.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the back frameportion is configured with one or more display area depressions. In apreferred embodiment, each of the display area depressions is configuredto correspond to one of the divider sections of the front frame portion.The display area depressions may be formed in the back frame portionthrough a molding process or through a pressing process. Furthermore, inthe preferred embodiment, each display area depression will beconfigured to contain a document, flyer, or similar item when combinedtogether with the front frame portion and the display panel. One ofordinary skill in the art would appreciate that there are many suitabledesigns for display area depression, and embodiments of the presentinvention area contemplated for use with any such display areadepression.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the one or moredisplay area depressions may further include finger slot depressionslocated at the top, bottom, or top and bottom of each display areadepression. In a preferred embodiment, the finger slot depressions allowa user to more easily grasp and maneuver a document that is in placebehind the display panel. One of ordinary skill in the art wouldappreciate that there are numerous ways to configure a finger slotdepression, and embodiments of the present invention are contemplatedfor use with any such configuration.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the back frameportion is configured with a network of structural ribbing. In apreferred embodiment, the structural ribbing provides rigidity to theback frame portion. In the preferred embodiment, the network ofstructural ribbing is formed in the back frame portion through themolding process that forms the back frame portion. In alternateembodiments, the network of structural ribbing is formed in the backframe portion stamped or pressed into the material forming the backframe portion. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate thatthere are numerous useful designs for a network of structural ribbing inthe back frame portion, and embodiments of the present invention areconfigured for use with any such design.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the back frameportion may be substantially flat and without any structural ribbing. Ina preferred embodiment, the back frame portion would be a single pieceof material configured to engage with the front frame portion. Thepreferred embodiment may include one or more display area depressions,as well as finger slot depressions. One of ordinary skill in the artwould appreciate there are numerous suitable designs for a substantiallyflat back frame portion, and embodiments of the present invention arecontemplated for use with any such design.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, given the shape andsize of the divider sections and the space formed therein, documentsretained in the space of the divider section are maintained in anupright and clearly viewable manner. Advantageously, documents areprevented from folding over or otherwise becoming unreadable due topositioning or placement.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, one or more displaypanels are secured in between the divider sections of the front frameportion and the front side of the back frame portion of the notificationboard. This display panel works to keep the documents in place withinthe retention space defined between the divider sections and the frontside of the back frame portion. In a preferred embodiment, thesecomponents work to form a retention space that is enclosed on all sidesexcept for an opening on top that allows for the easy insertion andremoval of documents into the retention space. Ideally, the displaypanels are comprised of a transparent or semi-transparent material, suchas polycarbonate plastic (for example, Lexan®), glass or acrylic glass(such as Plexiglas®). However, in certain embodiments, it may bedesirable to have non-transparent materials used. One of ordinary skillin the art would appreciate there are numerous materials of varioustransparency from which the display panels could be constructed from,and embodiments of the present invention are contemplated for use withdisplay panels of any material and any transparency.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the one or moredisplay panels may be configured with one or more finger slot cut-outs.In a preferred embodiment, the finger slot cut-outs allow a user to moreeasily grasp and maneuver a document that is in place behind the displaypanel. In the preferred embodiment, the finger slot cut-outs on thedisplay panels are configured to align with the finger slot depressionsof the display area depression. One of ordinary skill in the art wouldappreciate that there are numerous ways to configure a finger slotcut-out, and embodiments of the present invention are contemplated foruse with any such configuration.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, each retentionspace has an open top portion formed by a curved portion located at thetop of said divider section that forms said retention space. In thismanner, documents may be easily inserted and removed from the top ofeach retention space. In other embodiments, there are no openings anddocuments are inserted and retrieved via other means described below.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, each dividersection and display panel combination is in contact with a tensionmeans. The tension means is configured to provide a force on the displaypanel to urge the display panel towards a closed position. Users of thenotification board may apply a counter force in the opposite directionto move the display panel to an open position. In a closed position, theretention space formed between the display panel, back frame portion anddivider section is ideal for retaining documents therein. In an openposition, easy access to documents within the retention space isprovided. This is useful when documents that are placed into theretention space are otherwise hard to retrieve.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the tension meansmay be a leaf spring, coil spring, weighted element, magnetic element orother means for urging the display panel towards a closed position. Oneof ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that there are numeroustension means that could be used with embodiments of the presentinvention, and embodiments of the present invention are contemplated foruse with any tension means.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the notificationboard could be further comprised of one or more labeling components. Thelabeling component is configured to allow for users of the notificationboard to identify and label the contents of the various divided sectionsand the documents contained therein. In a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, the labeling component is comprised of a curved labelprojection and a label opening. In the preferred embodiment, the curvedlabel projection is configured on the back frame portion and the labelopening is configured in the front frame portion, with the label openingbeing further configured to fit closely over the curved labelprojection. In this preferred embodiment, a label is inserted on oneside of the curved label projection in a space that is created by thejoining of the label opening around the curved label projection. Thelabel is then bent around the curved label projection and inserted atthe equivalent space on the other side of the curved label projection.The arc of the curved label projection makes the label stay in placewith compression force occurring from the label opening that is abovethe curved label projection. In a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the notification board has an equal number of labelingcomponents and divider sections, allowing for each divided section to beappropriately labeled.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the front frameportion and the various divider sections form a single integrated piece.The entire single integrated piece is configured to be attached to theback frame portion via one or more attachment means. Commonly, screws orplastic fusing techniques may be utilized. However, one of ordinaryskill in the art would appreciate there are numerous attachment meansthat may be utilized to secure the single integrated front frame portionto the back frame portion of the notification board, and embodiments ofthe present invention are contemplated for use with any attachmentmeans.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the notificationboard is further comprised of one or more locking elements. The lockingelements may, for instance, be comprised of a first element attached toa display panel and a second element attached to the front frame portionof the notification board. The locking element may be utilized tofurther secure the display panel in a closed position or to otherwiseprotect documents contained within the notification board. Lockingelements may include, but are not limited to, latches, key locks,combination locks, hook and loops, tie down elements and tongue andgroove elements. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate thatthere are numerous locking elements that may be utilized withembodiments of the present invention, and embodiments of the presentinvention are contemplated for use with any locking elements.

Exemplary Embodiments

Turning now to FIG. 1, a perspective view of an exemplary embodiments ofthe present invention is shown. In this FIG. 1, a notification board 100with a back frame portion 101 and a front frame portion 102 that, incombination, form ten divider sections. In this embodiment, the backframe portion 101 also includes a finger slot depression 108 at the topof each of the ten divider sections. Additionally in FIG. 1, thenotification board 100 is comprised of ten display panels 103, tenlabeling components 104 and 4 attachment means 105. The display panels103 is also formed with a finger slot cut-out 109. In this embodiment,each of the divider sections 102 is the same size. This goes for thelabeling components 104 and display panels 103 as well. One of ordinaryskill in the art would appreciate that the divider sections 102,labeling components 104 and display panels 103 may vary in size,providing a notification board 100 with multiple sizes and shapes ofdivider sections 102 and labeling components 104.

Additionally in FIG. 1, the opening 106 at the top of each dividedsection can be seen, whereby documents can be inserted into the openingfor retention and display in the retention space below. The document canbe later removed from the top, or, alternatively, from the bottom byapplying an upward force to the display panel, thereby moving thedisplay panel into an open position and allowing for the document to beretrieved from the bottom.

FIGS. 2-3 show alternate views of the embodiment of the notificationboard as shown in FIG. 1. Again, ten divided sections 102 are shown,with ten display panels 103 ten labeling components 104, and 4attachment means 105.

FIGS. 4 and 5 shows a cross-sectional view of a divided section with thedisplay panel 401 in a closed position. In an exemplary embodiment, thedisplay panel is received within a channel 402 formed between the backframe portion 403 and the front frame portion 404. This providesstability and control such that the display panel 401 does not wobble orotherwise become loose while the display panel 401 moves up and downwithin the given space provided in said channel 402. Also shown is theretention space 405 formed behind the display panel 401 which is capableof retaining documents therein while the display panel is in a closedposition.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, documents may be inserted intothe curved portion located at the top or removed from the retentionspace 405 behind the display panel by reaching in and pulling out thedocument through the gap provided. It should be noted that, in preferredembodiments of the present invention, when the display panel is in aclosed position, documents may be inserted and/or retrieved from the topof the divided section as a curved portion located at the top is leftopen when the display panel is in the closed position. In an openposition, documents may be removed from a gap formed at the bottom of adivided section. The gap is formed when the display panel is slid upwithin the given space provided in said channel 402. In certainembodiments, the curved portion located at the top may become closedwhen the display panel is moved into the open position to give access todocuments from the bottom.

Turning now to FIGS. 6-8 views of the frame of a notification board(front frame portion 600 and back frame portion 700) are shown (FIG. 6being a rear perspective view of the front frame portion 600, FIG. 7being a a front perspective view of a back frame portion, and FIG. 8being a close-up of an attachment means 601 of a front frame portion600). In these views, the numerous attachment means 601 are shown aswell as recessed areas 701 for receiving one or more attachment means601. These attachment means 601 are used to attach the front frameportion 600 to the back frame portion 700 of the notification board aspreviously described herein. In a preferred embodiment, the recessedareas 701 are configured to receive a coned area attachment means 601.In certain embodiments of the present invention, no recessed areas 701are utilized. In the preferred embodiment, each of the display areas 706is formed with a finger slot depression 708.

FIGS. 9-10 show exploded views of an exemplary embodiment of thenotification board 900 of the present invention (FIG. 10 being a frontexploded view and FIG. 11 being a rear exploded view). In thisembodiment, each of the elements (i.e., back frame portion 901, frontframe portion 902, display panel 903, labeling component 904, tensionmeans 911, surface attachment means 905, frame attachment means 906 andframe attachment means recessed receiving areas 907) are aligned in sucha manner that when assembled, ten separate divided sections are formedwhereby each divided section is capable of retaining one or moredocuments therein. In this collective manner, documents can be organizedand retained in an orderly fashion. In this embodiment, the back frameportion 901 also includes a finger slot depression 908 at the top ofeach of the ten divider sections and structural ribbing 910 on the backof the back frame portion 901. The display panels 903 are also formedwith a finger slot cut-out 909.

It should be noted that the features illustrated in the drawings are notnecessarily drawn to scale, and features of one embodiment may beemployed with other embodiments as the skilled artisan would recognize,even if not explicitly stated herein. Descriptions of well-knowncomponents may be omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure theembodiments.

While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of thepresent invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art fromthis detailed description. The invention is capable of myriadmodifications in various obvious aspects, all without departing from thespirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings anddescriptions are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and notrestrictive.

1. A notification board, said notification board comprising: a frame portion comprising a front side formed with one or more finger slot depressions and a rear side that is configured to be affixed to a mounting surface, wherein each of said one or more finger depressions are configured to allow a user to grasp behind documents being held by said notification board.
 2. The notification board of claim 1, further comprising one or more display area depressions that are formed in said front side of said frame portion and configured to retain one or more of said documents, wherein each of said display area depressions is defined by a raised border rim.
 3. The notification board of claim 2, wherein each of said display area depressions has at least one of said finger slot depressions abutting said raised border rim.
 4. The notification board of claim 2, wherein said finger slot depressions are more deeply recessed than said display area depressions to enable said user to grasp behind said documents being retained within any of said display area depressions.
 5. The notification board of claim 2, further comprising a frame divider that attaches to said frame portion, wherein said frame divider has a separate divider section corresponding to each of said display area depressions.
 6. The notification board of claim 5, further comprising a display panel retained within said divider section thereby forming a document retention space defined by each of said display area depressions and said display panel corresponding thereto, wherein said display panel is formed with finger slot cut-outs that correspond to and align with said finger slot depressions to enable a user to remove any of said documents from said document retention space.
 7. A notification board, said notification board comprising: a back frame portion comprising a front side formed with one or more finger slot depressions and a rear side that is configured to be affixed to a mounting surface, wherein each of said one or more finger depressions are configured to allow a user to grasp behind documents being held by said notification board; and a front frame portion comprising one or more divider sections, wherein said front frame portion is connected to said front side of said back frame portion.
 8. The notification board of claim 7, further comprising one or more display area depressions each of which are defined by a raised border rim that is formed in said front side of said back frame portion, wherein each of said display area depressions corresponds to one of said divider sections of said front frame portion.
 9. The notification board of claim 7, wherein each of said display area depressions has at least one of said finger slot depressions abutting said raised border rim.
 10. The notification board of claim 8, further comprising a display panel retained within each of said divider sections thereby forming a document retention space defined by each of said display area depressions and said display panel corresponding thereto, wherein said display panel is formed with finger slot cut-outs that correspond to and align with said finger slot depressions to enable a user to remove said documents from said document retention space.
 11. A notification board, said notification board comprising: a back frame portion comprising a front side formed with one or more finger slot depressions and one or more display area depressions and a rear side that is configured to be affixed to a mounting surface, wherein each of said one or more finger depressions are configured to allow a user to grasp behind documents being held by said notification board and each of said display area depressions are defined by a raised border rim that is formed in said front side of said back frame portion; a front frame portion comprising one or more divider sections each of which correspond to one of said display area depressions, wherein said front frame portion is connected to said front side of said back frame portion; and a display panel retained within each of said divider sections thereby forming a document retention space defined by each of said display area depressions and said display panel corresponding thereto, wherein said display panel is formed with finger slot cut-outs that correspond to and align with said finger slot depressions to enable a user to remove said documents from said document retention space. 